


Welcome Home

by Kazymyr



Series: heartbeats [2]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Bantering, Camp Half-Blood, Fluff, Friendship, Humor, M/M, Nico doesn't know who Darkwing Duck is, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Will might be afraid of rollercoasters, a dash of angst, teenage boys being teenage boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-19
Updated: 2016-03-22
Packaged: 2018-05-27 05:10:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6270871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kazymyr/pseuds/Kazymyr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“It’ll be fun,” Will said from over an Iris-Message, ignoring Nico’s doubtful look. “You eat until you hate yourself and then you fall asleep on the couch. It’s like the most American thing you can do.”</p><p>“I’m not American.”</p><p>“Yeah but you live in the United States, so it’s just something you’re going to have to come to terms with."</p><p>Or...</p><p>In which Nico learns a lot about movies from the 80's, Will's mother is a gem, and Will almost throws up again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part One

They didn’t make it to December. Instead, November rolled around and Will was _insistent_ that Nico joined him and his family for something called Thanksgiving. Nico had a pretty good idea what that entailed, (he hadn’t been living under a rock for gods’ sake) but it wasn’t something he had ever experienced firsthand and the idea seemed more than a little daunting.

“It’ll be fun,” Will said from over an Iris-Message, ignoring Nico’s doubtful look. “You eat until you hate yourself and then you fall asleep on the couch. It’s like the most American thing you can do.”

“I’m not American.”

“Yeah but you live in the United States, so it’s just something you’re going to have to come to terms with. Plus, it’s just food, Neeks.”

It wasn’t _just_ food though. It was a whole lot of people that Nico didn’t know. It was Will’s aunts, and uncles, and cousins. It was too many people in one place and the thought made him anxious. Will’s plea continued for days, but Nico declined every time. The idea of being surrounded by people he didn’t know sounded like something he desperately wanted to continue to avoid – Will or no Will.

Will, however, was determined to give new meaning to the word _relentless_. Thanksgiving was the topic of every conversation and when Nico continued to refuse, Will changed his plan of attack.

“Okay. Fine” Will conceded. “How about the day after Thanksgiving? It’ll just be my mom and me. The rest of the family won’t be there.”

And unfortunately for Nico, he couldn’t think of a decent excuse that didn’t involve a blatant lie, so he agreed.

Now, standing outside an apartment building in Santa Cruz, Nico still wasn’t entirely sure how Will had managed to talk him into this. It was cold, colder than he expected. His aviator jacket had been ripped to shreds months ago and it never occurred to him to replace it, nor did he have the means to. However, as the sea air bit at his arms, sending chills deep into his bones, he regretted the lack of forethought.

_And since when_ , he thought, _have I ever been cold?_

He shuffled awkwardly outside the doors, eyes scanning up the windows and wondering if maybe he still had the chance to turn around and leave. Maybe Will hadn’t seen him yet and Nico could come up with some sort of excuse on why he couldn’t show up at the last second.

_Something could go wrong at camp. I could say I had to go see my father…_

His thoughts never came to fruition though. The front door of the building came crashing open and Nico barely had time to register what was happening before Will was skipping the six steps that led up to the building and landing at a screeching halt in front of his face. The son of Apollo’s hair was a mess, but his grin was blinding and his eyes were bright. Nico was quite sure his eyes hadn’t been so blue the last time he had seen them, and he also was quite confident that he no longer knew how to breathe.

_How did we ever manage to do this?_ Nico’s mind stuttered.

“You’re here,” Will breathed out like he couldn’t believe Nico was real. His arms jittered at his sides, trying to contain themselves from reaching out.

“Yeah,” Nico replied, his eyes glancing up the building, to the windows and anywhere but Will. “I’m here.”

“Did you shadow travel here?”

“To Camp Jupiter yesterday, but Jules-Albert gave me a ride here today.”

Without another word, Will’s arms darted out, grabbing Nico’s hands in his own as he poured over them meticulously. The shorter boy’s olive skin jumped to life, buzzing and making everything around him feel vibrant and intense. He tensed up, letting Will look at his hands until the feeling was too much and Nico yanked them away.

“Is that really necessary?”

“I’m just checking. What kind of attending physician would I be if I didn’t?”

“You aren’t _attending_ anything.”

“But _you_ are,” Will smiled. “My mom is really looking forward to meeting you.”

Nico made a noise in the back of his throat, his eyes still watching the windows above.

_The feeling isn’t mutual_.

The building was decently nice. The apartments didn't look very big, but they seemed to be relatively new. Most of the windows were covered with blinds, but Nico could see shadows moving through a few of them. Idly he wondered which one belonged to Will's mother.

“Hey,” Will said, waving a hand in front of Nico's face and attempting to make eye contact. His smile had slipped into something less confident and his eyes looked concerned. “I know you didn’t want to come, but can you at least try to have a good time? I promise it won’t be that bad.”

Nico’s chest gave a weak jerk and he immediately threw his eyes to the ground, feeling guilty. “I uh... sorry. This is sort of weird.”

“Well yeah, but it’s better than waiting an entire year like you wanted to.”

“I didn’t really _want_ to.”

“Well then try to look a little more excited.”

“I _am_ trying.”

“You’re sure about that? That’s your excited face? It looks like your scared one. You're practically shaking in your boots.”

“I- wh- what?” Nico sputtered. “I’m the Ghost King. I don’t get scared of things like _you_. I’m the terror that lurks in the night.”

Will snorted, all concern gone from his face. “Yeah, all right _Darkwing Duck_. Believe it all you want but you’re still shaking.”

“It's _cold_!” Nico cried. “And you still haven't invited me inside!”

“What are you? A vampire?”

“What?” Nico said blankly. “What are you even saying? Because I’m cold?”

“No. Because I haven't invited you inside. Vampires can’t come inside a home unless the man of the house invites them in.”

Nico paused. “What are you- Is that another pop culture reference? Because if it is, I don't get it. I don’t even know what a _Darkwing Duck_ is.”

Will laughed to himself and clapped a hand on Nico's shoulder, leading him towards the door. “Oh Neeks, there is so much to teach you.”

“Will, if you want me to make it through this dinner, you're going to have to start making sense.”

The son of Apollo gave him a sunny smile, and something familiar twisted in Nico's stomach – something warm and hot and a little disorienting. “I hope you're hungry,” was all Will said before opening the door and rushing up to the stairwell, taking two steps at a time. “ _But_ if you want dinner, you're gonna have to catch me.”

_Right_ , Nico thought, unable to stop the small smile curled onto his face as Will stood just a few steps ahead of him, challenging him with a smirk. _I forgot._ This _is how we manage_.

Nico darted up to meet Will and the other took off. He wasn’t entirely sure of where Will was going but he was determined to beat him to wherever that was. The blonde immediately scampered up the stairs, tossing out an elbow to trap Nico against a wall as they ran, but the dark-haired boy ducked away. His success was indisputable, but short lived as a hand fisted itself into the back of Nico's shirt, pulling him backward before Will darted up the next flight of stairs.

Nico ran up behind him, catching Will’s ankle with a hand and causing the son of Apollo to stumble on the stairs, catching himself with one hand before he fell. Nico snuck past him to the next flight, but when he didn’t hear Will’s footsteps behind him, he looked down just long enough to see Will smirk and run down a hallway.

The smaller boy cursed at the ceiling and jumped back down, chasing the other down the hall.

When Will came to a sudden stop, Nico was right behind him and the son of Hades ended up with a face full of the taller boys' back.

“Not fair,” Nico said into Will’s sweatshirt, pushing himself off. “You knew where you were going.”

“Yeah well,” Will shrugged, not looking even a little guilty. “Next time is fair game.”

“Next time I'm shadow traveling ahead of you.”

“No way! That's cheating!”

“And what was that?!” Nico cried, gesturing behind them.

Will bobbed his head back and forth. “A competitive cardio workout?”

“A competitive cardio workout,” Nico repeated, the corners of his mouth twitching. “You’re annoying.”

“I know, but don't lie. You missed me. Even if it was just a little. You still totally missed me.”

“Right. I’m sure,” Nico said plainly, unable to deny that there might have been a bit of truth to his words.

Will studied his face carefully, eyes searching intently before breaking into another smirk and saying: “ _you totally did_ ” and twisting the door open.

Nico was greeted by a barrage of smells, some of them familiar, and others (while delicious) were things he couldn't quite place. The apartment was small, Nico could easily see most of it in a single glance, but he was surprised by the ease in which it welcomed him in and how it didn't seem all that unfamiliar.

It looked a lot like Will.

The rooms were bright and the colors soft. There were simple, little things that reminded Nico of a home he had once in Italy. It stirred something deep in his gut, but he tried to push it aside as his eyes moved across the living room, and back to the kitchen where a tall, thin woman was standing by the stove. Her blonde hair was drawn up into a high ponytail, and her movements light and fluid.

“That was quick,” she said in a musical voice, wiping her hands on a rag before turning around with a bright smile. “You must be Nico.”

Nico’s mind lapsed momentarily. It wasn't as if Will's mother was earth-shatteringly stunning, but she was unquestionably beautiful. Her features were delicate and her skin light gold. She was certainly someone Nico could imagine Apollo losing his head over, but there were other things that made her seem gentle and real. The hair at her temples was graying slightly, and the edges of her eyes crinkled when she smiled. She was a perfect image of Will, and for a moment, Nico couldn’t see any of Apollo at all.

Will nudged an elbow into Nico's side, and the son of Hades stuttered out a clumsy introduction, feeling like he was six years-old again.

Will's mother's smile got impossibly bigger and she turned the last of the stove’s burners off. “The pleasure is all mine. I've been looking forward to meeting you. Will talks about you quite a bit.”

Will paled for a moment before a flush rose high into his cheeks. “ _Mom_.”

“What? You do,” Will’s mother responded, rolling her eyes in a perfectly _Will_ sort of way before turning her attention back to Nico. “You look cold, honey. Did you not bring a jacket?”

“I don’t uh… don’t have one. I did, it just sort of got… lost this summer.”

 “Well that’s all right. You can borrow one of Will’s.”

Before Nico could protest, Will was gone, ducking into a nearby room. The dark-haired boy shifted in the kitchen, looking at the small, round table that Will’s mother was placing dishes on. Most of the food looked vaguely familiar, and although it wasn’t what he was used to, that unsettling feeling of longing spread through his chest as he remembered family dinners with his own mother and Bianca.

“Go ahead and grab a seat,” Will’s mother said brightly, putting the last dish on the table and pulling out her own chair across from where Nico was sitting before beginning to hand him dishes full of food, encouraging him to start piling his plate. “I know some of these things look a little strange, but I promise they’re all pretty decent.”

“Except for the casserole,” Will interjected, tossing a sweatshirt into the side of Nico’s head and ignoring the _“Will!”_ from his mother. “Steer clear of that if you value your life, Death Boy.”

“Don’t be so critical. And Nico, dear, take some more stuffing. You look like you’re starving.” Will’s mother set a bowl of mashed potatoes in front of Nico and then, as if suddenly realizing what Will had said, she turned to her son with an unamused look. “And Death Boy? Honestly? That’s the best you can do?”

“If you saw him at the end of last summer, you would know exactly why I call him that. You think he’s skinny now? You should’ve seen him. He was _literally_ half-dead. Not joking. He was fading into nothingness.”

“Still managed to save your life though,” Nico muttered as he skewered a piece of turkey onto his plate.

“Saved your life, hm?” Will’s mother repeated, eyebrows raised as she watched Will with open curiosity. “Something you forgot to mention about your summer, Will?”

“I mean, he wasn’t _saving_ -“

“Definitely was,” Nico interjected.

“There were a couple guys-“

“Six.”

“And I was totally fine.”

Nico opened his mouth to reply but Will’s hand was muffling his response and Will’s mother was batting it away and telling Will to knock it off immediately after.

“Seriously?” She said in mock exasperation. “Are you always like this? How do you have any friends? People must think you were raised by wolves.”

“On the contrary, most people think I am quite charming and they often compliment my mother’s excellent parenting skills.”

Will’s mother rolled her eyes again but Nico could almost see the affection bleeding off of her. “You sound like your father.”

“Do I? I wouldn’t know.”

“You,” she said with a finger pointed at Will. “Don’t start with that. Just pass the stuffing.”

Will obediently handed the bowl to his mother, sticking out his tongue, to which his mother responded by mimicking the same expression.

Nico ducked his head down to hide the smile he couldn’t stop.

Will’s mother turned to look at Nico and asked: “Is he like this all the time with you too?”

Nico bit back at his smile. His plate filled with food and his body wrapped in a sweatshirt two-sizes too big, but it smelled like Will. This wasn’t what he normally did, it was out of his comfort zone but Will was already telling him to: “ _not say a word”_ , and Nico couldn’t help saying: “You have no idea.”

Will’s mother laughed and the sound reminded him of holidays and sidewalk cafes. She gave Nico a full, blinding smile and said: “Oh Nico. I think you and I are going to be good friends.”

 

* * *

 

 

When the dishes were done and Nico was sure he had eaten more cumulative food than he had in his entire life, he dropped down next to Will who was sprawled out on the couch, groaning dramatically.  
  
“I hate myself,” Will bemoaned, voice muffled by the arm thrown across his face. “Why do we do this every year? This is terrible. You think I would know better. Neeks, put in a good word for me with your father. I’ll be seeing him soon.”

Nico gave Will a shove, attempting to clear some more space as he settled into the couch. “I don’t feel that bad. Everything was really good.”

“That’s because you’re a bottomless pit now,” Will responded, peeking out from beneath his arm. “Seriously, where do you put it?”

“You just wait Will,” Will’s mother said, shuffling by the two of them and into her room. Will swatted at her as she walked by. “He’s going to have a growth spurt and be a twice as tall as you.”

“First of all, that’s not funny. I have very few things to be proud of and my height is one of them. Second, if he turns out to twelve feet tall, we’re going to have a lot bigger problems than him being taller than just me. Namely, where in Olympus would you ever find pants that were long enough?”

“Probably exactly where you said,” she called from her bedroom. “I’m sure there is a god of custom tailoring or something.”

Nico snickered from next to Will and the blonde smacked him in the arm. Nico snorted. “She’s great.”

“Don’t encourage her.”

By the time Will’s mother re-emerged, Will had thrown both his legs over Nico’s, the two of them battling the inevitable drowsiness that occurred after a full meal. She gave Will a quick shake and when Nico looked back at her, her make-up was fresh and there was a backpack slung over her shoulder. Will blinked at her several times, giving her a questioning glance before looking at the clock. “Did you get called into work early?”

The question seemed a little bizarre to Nico, but he followed Will’s eyes to where the clock read eight o’clock. He was just about to ask why she was going to work so late, but he recalled a conversation he had had with Will several months ago about how his mother worked late shifts at a hospital.

“Not quite, but I need to make a couple stops before I start,” Will’s mother said before looking at Nico. “I’ll see you both in the morning?”

“Yes!” Will cried, abruptly more awake than he had been seconds ago.  He sat up awkwardly, legs still draped over Nico’s but looking at the son of Hades excitedly. “Come on. It’ll be awesome. I don’t have school tomorrow. We can go check out the boardwalk, or walk around town, or watch a million movies. Whatever you want. It’ll be great.”

Nico sat back, unprepared for any type of response. Will’s mother was shrugging her arms with a gentle smile and watched as Will looked expectantly at Nico.

“It’s your decision, honey,” she said to Nico. “But you’re more than welcome to stay for as long as you’d like.”

“I don’t…” Nico said weakly, shifting uncomfortably. “I don’t want to be in the way or any extra-“

Will leapt up and Nico’s words died out as he watched as Will dashed to what, Nico assumed, was his bedroom. Will’s mother sighed out a brief: “ _here we go”,_ before taking a seat on the arm of the couch and folding her hands in her lap to look at Nico again.

“You certainly won’t be any of those things,” she started. “Will has been really excited to have you here, but don’t let his enthusiasm pressure you into staying.”

Nico wanted to explain to her that he really did want to stay, it just seemed strange to be in someone else’s house, eating someone else’s food and them being… happy to have him around. Most of the time people couldn’t wait for him to leave, and they certainly never asked him to stay.

“I think he gets lonely. He has a couple friends but I think it’s hard because… well, you know.” Will’s mother gave him a tight smile. “Things are never easy for demigods, and I’m sure playing mortal isn’t any fun either. Having someone who really understands has been hard for him to find.”

Something fell off the wall in Will’s room and there was a brief bout of creative cursing before a mattress slid through the doorway, dropping onto the living room floor in front of the couch. Will bounced down on top of it, grinning proudly at both of them. “See? All the extra work is done. I’ll sleep on the couch and you can sleep on the mattress. All our problems are solved.”

Will’s mother paused and then shook her head, letting out another quiet laugh.

“You’re a disaster,” she said, rising up from her spot to take Will’s head in her hands before planting a kiss on his forehead. “But I love you. Please be nice to Nico while I’m gone.”

“What? I am _always_ nice to Nico.”

Will’s mother hummed out something that sounded a lot like a disbelieving “ _I don’t know about that_ ” but before Will could retort, his mother was placing a hand on Nico’s shoulder on her way toward the door. “If I don’t see you in the morning, it was a pleasure to meet you. Come back any time.”

“Thank you,” Nico answered, completely aware of the hand on his shoulder and noting that while it lacked the same sort of spark that Will had, there was the same familiar warmth. She nodded, gave his shoulder a quick squeeze and then said another quick goodbye before heading out the door.

When Nico looked back, Will was watching him expectantly. Nico blinked. “What?”

“So?”

“So what?”

“Are you going to stay?”

“I don’t know... Maybe?”

Nico was expecting Will to come back with some quick remark, but the blonde surprised him by giving him a nod and a small smile. “Okay. I can deal with maybe.”

The son of Apollo tugged at the other boy’s leg, gesturing for him to get off the couch and join him on the mattress. Without meaning to, Nico found himself responding, sliding down and sitting cross-legged in front of Will, so close that their knees were almost touching.

“So...” Will drawled, his eyes low. “This isn’t all bad, right? She was pretty okay?”

“Your mom?” Nico asked. “No… she’s great. She didn’t- Does she know who my dad is?”

“Of course,” Will said, giving him a weird look. “Why wouldn’t she?”

“Well, she never asked and I didn’t know if you told her.”

“Why wouldn’t I tell her?”

“Because,” Nico said obviously. “He’s Hades.”

“And she’s a nurse,” Will responded, mocking his tone. “She’s got more respect for him than most people do.”

“Respecting someone doesn’t always mean you like them.”

“Pretty sure that’s Mr. D’s motto.”

Nico barked out a laugh, quick and brief, but the damage was done. Will was looking up at him sunnily and his eyes, the ones that looked just like his mothers, were crisp and clear.  
  
Nico had forgotten what it was like. Being with Will was odd and comfortable all at the same time. Will brought a sense of calm that made relaxing, enjoying, all just simple, basic emotions. It kept everything easy and even when Nico was nervous, it was in a new, entirely exciting way. Happiness was no longer some grand, out of touch idea. Now he was finding little things and plucking moments of joy just from them. He liked the way Will’s hands looked, the way they felt when they managed to grab hold of him while veiled under the thinnest of excuses. He liked the sound of his voice, the way it changed when he was talking to Nico, like it was softer and more private. These were all things that he should have felt guilty about enjoying, but Nico’s belly was full of strange, delicious foods, and the sweatshirt he was wrapped in was cozy and smelled like summertime.

He was too content to be chased by demons right now and there were a lot of places in the world, but Nico couldn’t think of a place he would rather be.

Will’s hands inched toward Nico’s, the look in his eyes a very clear question of: _Can I?_ And Nico, who was warm and calm all over, just placed his hands in Will’s and let the healer study them with the same intensity he had outside.

His touch was gentle, and the entire ordeal seemed strangely intimate, so much so that Nico caught himself feeling heat rise high in his cheeks. A small smile was tugging at the corner of Will’s lips and without looking up he said: “You’re stronger.”

Nico swallowed hard, fighting the urge to lean forward. “I’m getting there.”

“How was the trip to Camp Jupiter? That’s the longest one since this summer, right?”

“Yeah, and it was fine. I slept for maybe an hour or two but I was okay after.”

"That’s good,” Will smiled, finally looking up to meet Nico’s eyes. “And no fading or weird shadowy stuff?”

“Not even a little.”

“Awesome.” Will dropped his eyes back down to where Nico’s hands were still loosely in his. The shorter boy wasn’t sure if he should let go, or if Will was still looking for something. Instead, the blonde moved his fingers to rest against the leather wrap of the bracelet around Nico’s wrist, gently touching the hanging sun-shaped bead that was glowing against Nico’s skin. “You still have it?”

“Of course,” Nico said without much thought. “You told me to watch it for you.”

“I know… but I ask you to do a lot of things and I’m pretty sure this is the first time you’ve ever listened.”

Nico set into a glare and the magic that had been hanging around them dissipated. He moved his hands out of Will’s, shoving at the other boy’s shoulder, who immediately started laughing and squirming away. “You’re the _worst_.”

“I _know_. But you _totally_ missed me.”

“Believe whatever you want but you’ll think differently when I try to drown you in your sleep tonight.”

Will’s head perked up. “What was that? That kind of sounded like you just said you’re going to stay the night.”

“Wh- What is wrong with you? I just told you I’m going to murder you in your sleep.”

“I know. And I ignored the parts I didn’t want to hear,” Will replied, getting up to turn on the television. “You want to watch a movie?”

“I don’t- No! Why-” Nico huffed. “ _Fine_. Let’s watch a movie. But I’m leaving after.”

“No you’re not,” Will said dismissively, popping in a DVD. “I’ll be surprised if you make it through the whole movie awake.”  

Nico wanted to argue, but Will was flopping back down onto the mattress, hooking one ankle over Nico’s, and not even listening when the son of Hades made an annoyed sound.

“Do you even know what personal space is?”

“Yeah, but I don’t believe in it.”

Nico split into another reluctant half-smile and Will looked over at him as the beginning sequence of the movie started. He bumped his shoulder into Nico’s, a smile still ghosting his lips.

“Hey,” Will said. “Just for the record, _I_ missed _you_. And I’m glad you’re here.”

The smaller boy’s cheeks heated and Nico found himself ducking further into the sweatshirt Will had given him, trying to hide the blush that was betraying him. He muttered a brief: “ _yeah, whatever”_ but it sounded a lot like: _me too._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They totally watched _The Lost Boys_ (and if you haven't seen it, you definitely should). Furthermore, if you don't know who Darkwing Duck is, you should know that too. 
> 
> http://kazymyrz.tumblr.com/


	2. Part Two

 

Falling asleep had been an accident. Nico had every intention of leaving, just in a petulant effort to prove Will wrong, but the house was warm, the movie was bad (the 1980’s had some really weird ideas about vampires), and Nico was so, so full of food. Instead of leaving, he woke up to Will trying to maneuver a pillow under his head sometime around one o’clock in the morning, and then the blonde clambered up on the couch and promptly passed out.

Nico remembered these things, so he wasn’t entirely sure why he was so confused when he opened his eyes the following morning to see bits of sunshine sneaking through window blinds that certainly were not part of his cabin. The room was filled with a white, blue light, and when Nico looked over toward the couch, he could see a yellow head of hair smashed face first into a pillow with one arm dangling off the couch and onto Nico’s mattress.

_He’s an idiot_ , Nico thought as his chest swelled.

Will looked a little ridiculous. He looked _a lot_ ridiculous, and maybe it was the combination of the comedy and the drowsiness that slowed the inevitable freak-out Nico was already prepared to have.

_I could leave now_ , he thought as he steadily began to wake. It would be rude to not say goodbye to Will’s mother and although Nico couldn’t remember a lot about being younger, there were a few things that were so ingrained in him from his childhood that they were more habits that memories. It was just… _Will_. He wasn’t sure how this was supposed to go. What he was supposed to say? Would they still continue to talk after Nico was gone? How do you wake up at someone else’s house?

Nico’s stomach churned and he flipped over to his opposite side, unable to look at Will, unable to see him, think about him and-

Nico blinked.

There was something on the pillow next to him.

The son of Hades sat up slowly, looking at a neat, brown box that was tied with white string. It was sitting on the pillow next to where he had been sleeping, not doing anything particularly offensive, just placed where Nico would be sure to find it. Instinctively he looked around, looking for something, anything to explain what this thing was.

It looked like… a present.

He blinked the sleep out of his eyes, rubbing them for good measure and proceeded to just stare, baffled at the little tag hanging off the edge that simply read: _Nico_.

Nico couldn’t recall the last time he had gotten a real present, and then as if to remind him, the ring around his finger suddenly felt heavy and he thought: _Bianca_.

He toyed with the edges of the string, fingers unsure as he slowly undid the tie until all that was left was the box. He lifted the lid tentatively off, moving aside bits of tissue paper before sitting back even more confused than he had been just minutes before.

It was a jacket.

It was a new, perfectly perfect jacket.

It wasn’t like something he had really seen before. It looked a little like a leather jacket, but there was a fabric hood and the lining was comfortable and casual like a sweatshirt. He sat, confused, puzzled and not really sure what to do.

“Well don’t just stare at it,” A voice mumbled from the couch, voice thick with sleep and partially muffled into a pillow. Nico turned to see Will rub his eyes, stretching his long arms out and nodding his head towards the clothing in Nico’s hands. “Try it on.”

The son of Hades moved absently, following the suggestion because he didn’t have the wit to argue. He tugged the jacket onto his shoulders, feeling the cozy lining and wrapping it around himself. The sleeves were too long and the shoulders too broad, but he was warm and the leather was decent.

Will smiled at him sleepily from the couch, blonde hair sticking every which way. “It looks good.”

“I don’t-“ Nico muttered quietly, still confused and unsure. “Did you-“

Will was shaking his head and when Nico asked who, Will made a face and said: “Who do you think?”

Without realizing, Nico immediately cast a glance at the door closed to Will’s mother’s bedroom and then turned back, pulling at the sleeves of his new garment. “But why- why would she do that?”

“She’s a mom,” Will said easily. “It’s a thing moms do.”

“But I’m not- she doesn’t really know me.”

“No, but I do. So, she knows you’re important.”

“I’m not-“

“To me you are and so by association, you’re important to her too.”

Nico was grateful that he wasn’t really awake. If he had been able to really think about what Will had said when they were both armed and ready with their wits, Nico might have disappeared or started and argument for no reason at all just because he wasn’t used to hearing things like that. Instead he just slid off the jacket and placed it reverently back in its box.

“I don’t- No one has really ever given me anything for… no reason.”

“Well,” Will started, stopping to heave himself and all his blankets off the couch, landing with a _thud_ onto the mattress next to Nico. “That’s my mom for you. She’s got a heart the size of an ocean. She’ll mother you until the end of time, but it comes from a good place. Do you like it?”

Nico nodded slowly. “It’s… yeah.”

“You sure about that?”

“Yeah. It’s- It’s perfect.”

“Words are hard, huh?”

“Shut up. It’s early.”

“I know, and you’re the jerk who woke us up,” Will yawned. “Let’s go back to sleep for like… at least another hour or two.”

Nico nodded, eyeing the couch steadily, flicking his eyes to Will. The blonde watched him for several moments and then carefully added: “I can go back up on the couch if you want me to.”

The son of Hades dropped his eyes back to the taller boy, watching as the blue of his eyes stayed focused intently on Nico as if the entire universe existed in front of him. He remembered what it had been like to wake up next to Will back in his own cabin and a shiver shot down his spine. The dark haired boy shook his head. “No. You don’t have to.”

“Okay,” the healer replied, his eyes falling shut and his chest heaving in a deep breath. “See you in a few hours, Neeks.”

Nico settled back down into the mattress, torn between pressing forward into Will’s space or crawling towards the other end of the bed. He settled somewhere in between, the jacket moved to the side of the mattress and when Nico stopped moving, Will reached his arm up so the two of them were touching in just the slightest way. Nico turned his head into the pillow, catching a glimpse of Will’s tired face, and then closed his eyes, listening to each one of the other boy’s breaths and counting them until he fell back asleep.

 

* * *

 

The next time Nico woke up, Will was already up and in the kitchen. Nico could smell breakfast and it was enough to get him out of bed and to the table right before Will was about to start force feeding him pancakes. The blonde spent most of the meal talking through his food, telling him all the places he wanted to show Nico, and it seemed that before he could even protest, Nico was suddenly outside in his new jacket with Will dragging him by the hand.

They weren’t far from the coastline but Nico could hear the ocean before he could see it. Will was busy pointing off in various directions, showing him which route he took to go to school, the first place he ever saw a monster, and the park where he almost broke his arm. It seemed sort of strange to Nico. He didn’t have a place where there were years of history and stories to be told. Everything before he was taken out of the Lotus Casino was still hazy, only snippets of sights and sounds that he could piece together.

It wasn’t that way for Will though. His memories were so vivid and there were moments when Nico almost felt as if he could see the other boy’s memories being played out in front of him. Will’s voice kept Nico’s own nostalgia at bay, and the things around him felt new and invigorating.

It was easy being lead around by Will. The boardwalk was packed with people by the time they arrived and Nico made a split second decision to cling to Will’s sleeve so they wouldn’t get separated. It was more or less where his hand permanently stayed until they could manage some space, which was only a few times and they were far between.

Will took him to some of his favorite lookout spots, dragging Nico on a couple rides and through attractions that seemed a little old and outdated. It wasn’t entirely bad though. There were so many people but the only acknowledgements they ever received were polite smiles and a handful of “ _excuse me”_ comments as people pushed by.

It was nice. It was normal. For a moment Nico felt like a teenager and not the son of a god.

“Are there any rides you want to try?” Will asked over the noise of the boardwalk, maneuvering them closer to the beach. Nico flicked his eyes to the glimmering lights of the attractions around them, casting his eyes over to where he could see some type of car speeding along a track.

“What’s that?” Nico asked, watching as Will followed his line of vision until it landed on the tracks.

“What? The rollercoaster? You’ve never been on one?”

Nico gave him a blank look. “When would I have had time to go on a rollercoaster, Will?” 

“I don’t know. Maybe they had them in the 1800’s, you tell me. I’m not exactly a history buff, Neeks.”

Nico bumped his shoulder roughly against the blonde and shot him a glare. Will squawked out a “ _hey!_ ” and rubbed his shoulder as he looked hesitantly over at the rollercoaster.

“Do you really want to go on that one?”

“What’s wrong with it?”

“It’s uh…” Will shifted uncomfortably. “I mean, you’ll probably like it. It’s kind of like a slower version of shadow travelling.”

Nico perked up. “That sounds amazing.”

“I mean, are you sure? There are other-“

“What’s wrong with you?” Nico asked suspiciously. “Do you not like rollercoasters?”

Will eyed the ride nervously. “I get a little motion sick.”

Nico latched on to Will’s sleeve, pulling him in the direction of where people were screaming with each dip of the cart. “Well then consider it payback for making me come all the way out to see you.”

“What? What’s that supposed to mean? Don’t act like you’re not having a good time, Nico di Angelo. You’d be at Camp cleaning stables if you weren’t here and you know it.”

“Keep letting yourself believe that.”

Will was the slightest shade of green by the time they were at the front of the line and Nico couldn’t help but poke at the healer’s hesitation. He wasn’t use to being the one who wasn’t nervous, and the switch was sort of nice. When the two of them were finally escorted into a cart, Will fisted one of his hands into Nico’s jacket and the other held on to the bar over their laps as if his entire life depended on it.

“Don’t you dare throw up on me,” Nico said as the cart jerked to life. Will gave him a weak, sideways glance before slamming his eyes shut.

“No promises.”

* * *

 

As the result of some sort of miracle, Will managed to keep his breakfast down, but it wasn’t without the cost of a significant amount of moaning and groaning for the rest of the afternoon. The two of them opted to hop down onto the beach, away from the crowds and where they could sit with some space around them. The waves along the beach were turbulent and unsteady, but the sound was constant and the sand felt cool against Nico’s hands.

Will laid flat against the sand, groaning dramatically and asking Nico why he hated him so much. The son of Hades’ rolled his eyes skyward and distracted himself by attempting to construct something that might remotely look like a sandcastle. He couldn’t remember ever actually building one as a child, but the theory was pretty decent. Eventually the healer sat up, looking less green and intrigued by Nico’s structure. Shortly after, what started out as idle building devolved into a full-fledged competition, complete with attempted sabotage until a dog came barreling through Nico’s castle and Will was declared the winner by default.

The two of them settled into silence shortly after the sandcastle debacle. Nico watched as two girls kicked off their shoes and rolled up their jeans, inching towards the water and then running away with shrieks and screams when the tide slid forward along the sand. They were probably a few years older than both Nico and Will, but their laughs were real and they echoed along the beach. For a moment, Nico felt like he was intruding on someone else’s memory, like there was joy and he was still ready to back out of it even if he wasn’t involved, but as he looked around he could see other moments, other friends and families all creating their own memories.

And here was Nico, doing exactly the same.

Nico turned to point the two girls out to Will, but he stopped abruptly as the blonde’s focus stayed out onto the water; his smile faded into something pensive, something not quite right and little bittersweet.

Nico nudged him with his foot. “Still feel like you want to puke?”

The other boy shook his head, slowly and thoughtfully. Nico nudged him again, prompting him for more of an answer and Will finally let out a breath, punctuating it with a sad sort of smile. “Sorry.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing really.”

Nico gave him a pointed look and Will deflated just the slightest bit.

“When I was a kid, my brother used to come out here with me.”

Nico blinked unexpectedly. “Your brother?”

“Lee.”

“Fletcher?”

Will nodded. “Yeah. He lived a couple blocks away from where I grew up. You uh… probably didn’t get a chance to meet him much but he was actually the reason I went to Camp Half-Blood so early. When I was really young I started seeing monsters pretty early but they weren’t interested in me yet. I was so small and it’s not like my powers have ever been very strong so it probably would have been a couple more years before anything really noticed me but Lee found me first.”

Will shrugged his shoulders absently, dropping his eyes to the sand and drawing designs with his index finger. He looked as if there was more to the story on the tip of his tongue, and Nico waited patiently as he found the words.

“He was a good brother. He definitely went above and beyond. Apollo has always been sort of a deadbeat to me and Lee tried to make up for it. My mom says Apollo’s lack of interest has a lot to do with her, but even Lee was disappointed with the way he ignored me. I mean, Apollo claimed me, a lot earlier than some of the other campers, but I think that had something to do with Lee too. He never really answered any of my prayers and Lee told me to just not worry about it because as long as he was around, everything would be okay. He was like… the coolest, greatest older brother and I idolized him like nothing else.” Will shifted uncomfortably. “It feels sort of dumb… talking about this. I’ve never liked thinking about him like he’s just gone forever. It’s been a while now but I’m still not really over it. It’s just that… the world sort of changes when you lose someone, doesn’t it? You stop believing in a lot of the things you used to because it just… hurts. I felt like, like I lost an arm or something. Like I’d been doing something for my entire life and now I had to find a new way to make it through.”

Nico’s fingers itched. He knew exactly how that felt. He knew the feeling better than he knew himself. That feeling was his existence and it was strange to look at Will, someone he associated with sunshine and summer and think that Nico’s own suffering was not entirely distinct to him.

After all, death had no prejudice or preference. 

In a moment of bravery, Nico reached over and dropped his hand onto Will’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze to let him know that he wasn’t alone. Will met his eyes with a bitter smile, and Nico figured that was at least something.

“Anyway,” the healer continued, trying to brighten his tone. “I’m glad that I won’t only think of Lee when I come down here now. This was fun. Thanks for letting me drag you out here.”

Nico nodded, still unsure of what to say so he leaned over and flicked Will’s ear. “Yeah well, don’t get used to it. I’m not always going to be this nice.”

Will gave him a weak laugh. “You call dragging me onto one of my biggest fears being nice?”

“Clearly you don’t understand what a test of patience an afternoon with you is like.”

Will chucked a handful of sand at Nico’s side and the son of Hades grinned; glad to see a smile back on the other boy’s face.

They didn’t stay much longer. The wind was picking up and Nico was grateful for the jacket that kept the air from biting cold into his bones. As they went to get up, Will gave one last long look out at the water and something pulled at Nico’s chest, like he should say something, anything to let Will know that he didn’t have to be the strong one when Nico was around. In fact, Nico liked Will best when he didn’t seem so bulletproof.

Nico tugged at his sleeve until Will was looking back at him. “Sorry,” Will said, but Nico was shaking his head.

“No. It’s okay. You don’t have to be- It’s not something-“ he paused. “I get it.”

A small, soft smile spread onto Will’s mouth and he nodded. “Yeah. I know.”

They stopped to along the way back to pick up some lunch to take with them to the apartment. Will steadily began to become more animated the further they got from the coast and he was so busy telling Nico about at least four other movies he had to watch that it didn’t occur to Nico until they were almost back to the apartment that maybe the ocean should have made him think of Percy. The thought had never even crossed his mind and when he realized it, he smiled low and to himself until Will caught it, knocking their shoulders together.

“What’s wrong with your face? Are you smiling?”

Nico shook his head just to be difficult but he was still simpering when he met Will’s eyes, counting the freckles that were dusted across his nose and cheeks.

“You liar,” Will teased. “You actually had a good time.”

_I did_ , Nico thought, watching Will and having the urge to reach out and grab his hand. _And I promise I’ll try to write over all those bittersweet memories_.

Will raised an eyebrow, regarding him with a suspicious tone. “You’re acting weird. What are you thinking about, Death Boy?”

“Nothing,” Nico shrugged. “I mean, I guess you’re right. Today wasn’t all bad. Watching you almost lose it on the rollercoaster was definitely the highlight of my week.”

Will dropped his head back and groaned, walking up the last flight of stairs to the apartment. “You’re such a jerk.”

“And yet you keep inviting me to things.”

“Look, I’ve been emotionally compromised by facing my fears of terrifying speeds on a wooden track, I can’t be held responsible for my actions. Also, I’m starving to death. Let’s eat.”

Will’s mother was sitting at the kitchen table when they returned, pouring over what looked like a textbook in front of her. When they both walked in she looked up; glasses perched on her nose and gave them a big smile. “Welcome back, boys. Where did you go?”

“To the boardwalk,” Will answered, immediately grabbing plates for their food. “Nico made me ride the rollercoaster, so I made him buy me lunch to make up for it.”

Will’s mother shot a wink over in Nico’s direction, looking pleased at the sight of the jacket. “You’re a good man, Nico. Did you like it down there?”

Nico nodded, unsure of what to say but confident he should be saying something.

“Well, that’s good.”

Will eyed the two of them cautiously, two bites of sandwich already stuffed into his mouth. He swallowed loudly. “All right, so I’m just going to take lunch into the living room and you two can talk about whatever while I pretend I’m not listening to every word you say.”

The blonde sidled by Nico, and the smaller boy shot him a dirty look that was met by Will childishly sticking his tongue out.

Will’s mother chuckled. “He’s a menace. I’m sorry about him. I thought I raised him better.”

“No he’s um… he’s not always-” Nico took a breath, toying with the ring on his finger and trying not to be distracted. “Thank you… for the jacket.”

Will’s mother smiled at him gently. “Of course. It looks good on you. I know it’s a bit big, but I wanted to be sure you had some room to grow into it.”

“No it’s…” Nico cleared his throat, trying to sound confident. “It’s perfect. No one has- People don’t really…“

Will’s mother turned her body to face Nico, looking at him with soft, serious eyes as she removed her glasses and clasped her hands into her lap. She looked as if she was trying to figure out the right words to say, and Nico shuffled his feet at the floor, unable to find his own.

“I know… it’s not easy being a demigod,” she said finally. “It’s not… it’s kind of like being the child of a single parent but… just so much more complicated. I know it’s been hard for Will, even though I do my best to make sure he knows that I’ll always be here for him but- I know- It’s hard even for him and- I can’t… imagine what it would be like to have no one at all.”

Nico tensed, eyes dropping to the ground, but Will’s mother ducked her head down, trying to catch his eyes again.

“And I’m sure you have a lot of great friends who love you very much. In fact, I’m sure of that, but it’s different when you don’t have a parent to go to and I just want you to know that… you can always come and talk to me. I know that seems sort of silly to tell you, because you and I don’t know each other very well yet, but if you need anything… even if it’s just, I don’t know, help with girls, boys, someone to take you shopping for clothes… it really doesn’t matter. I’ll certainly be here and this will always be a safe place for you to go.”

Nico blinked and he wasn’t in Will’s mother’s apartment anymore. He was six years old again, standing in front of his mother feeling like he was the luckiest boy in the world because she was his mother and he would always have her. He had felt the same way about Bianca, thinking that as long as they were together, he would be safe and he would be cared for but she, just like their mother, was gone before Nico was ready.

It hadn’t been fair. It hadn’t been right, and Nico had felt so, so alone.

But this… this was something different. This wasn’t his mother, it wasn’t his sister, and it wasn’t anybody who had any business loving Nico at all, but for some reason was still able to peer beneath the darkness and the death and find a fourteen year old boy who was still terrified of having to grow up too fast.

He lifted his eyes to meet Will’s mother’s bright blue ones. A wave of comfort seeped into his veins and he thought of Will, how he felt when they were together, how the world seemed softer when he was near, and the way Nico had felt like a regular teenager for the first time in his life. These feelings, the calm that Will brought to every part of his life wasn’t because of Apollo.

It was because of his mother.

Without realizing, Nico found himself stepping forward into Will’s mother’s arms. He held on to the sides of her shirt and she pulled him close, hugging him tightly and placing a gentle hand on his head before whispering something into his hair and following it with a kiss.

He felt like a shipwreck survivor, finding land after days of searching and the tension in his body disappeared.

Their moment lasted only briefly and before either of them could say anything, there was an annoyed noise behind Nico and the sound of Will’s indignant: “Are you serious right now? Do you have _any_ idea how hard I had to work for one of those?! An _entire_ summer.”

Will’s mother gave a muffled chuckle, letting go of Nico and wiping wetness from her cheeks. “Oh stop, being a mom is hard work; you start to deserve stuff like this when you get older.”

“She says as if she already has one foot in the grave,” Will teased from where he was peering over the back of the couch. “Seriously? You’re already playing favorites?”

“Oh for…” Will’s mother turned her attention back to Nico with a watery smile on her face. “Can _you_ do something about him? Gods know I can’t.”

“I’m not really sure anyone can, to be honest.”

“You’re probably right, but you’re definitely the one best suited for the job.” Will’s mother gave him a gentle push in the direction of where her son was perched on the couch with their lunch, but before Nico moved he gave her one last look and said:

“Thank you.”

 She gave his arm a squeeze and nodded her head. “Anytime.”

“You guys are kind of mean,” Will complained as Nico began making his way over to where he was sitting. “You know, I might be nicer if you hugged me more often.”

“You make it sound like you’re starved for attention.”

“I _am_ starved for attention. Love me, Nico di Angelo.”

“Not in your wildest dreams,” Nico replied, dropping onto the couch and trying to snatch his sandwich from Will, only to have it jerked out of his grasp. “I will end you, Will Solace.”

“Empty threats, Neeks,” Will said as he held the sandwich just out of Nico’s reach. “You’re part of the family now. My mom just adopted you. You’re stuck with me.”

Nico began to smile in spite of himself but quickly chased it away, focused on retrieving his lunch. “I don’t want to be your brother.”

“I mean, technically we’re already related. We’re like second cousins or something like that. Would brothers be so weird?”

“Will,” his mother called from the kitchen. “Just give Nico his sandwich.”

“Hey. We’re having a really serious conversation here. We’re practically siblings now.”

“Right. Well, if that’s the case, you should probably stop flirting with him then.”

Will’s entire face flushed. His ears immediately turned scarlet and his face turned a light shade of pink as he sputtered out a weak retaliation to his mother, giving Nico a chance to grab his lunch out of Will’s hands and settle smugly into the couch. The healer sank into his sweatshirt, muttering something about the two of them ganging up on him and Nico kicked Will’s foot with his own.

The blonde narrowed his eyes. “You guys don’t play fair.”

“I don’t know why you’re blaming me. I didn’t do anything.”

“You knew _exactly_ what you were doing.”

“I just wanted my lunch.”

“You’re the worst.”

“Would you please stop talking and turn on that movie about ninjas and turtles you were talking about?”

Will shot up, completely derailed and grateful for the distraction as he scrambled to the television. “Not ninjas _and_ turtles, Neeks. _Ninja turtles_.”

Nico rolled his eyes, unwrapping his sandwich and settling next to Will when he returned back to his spot. “I know you keep saying I missed out on a lot, but so far it just sounds like I managed to escape a whole bunch of radioactive weirdness.”

“Don’t judge. Just love.”

“Is that your motto?”

Will threw an elbow into Nico’s side and the son of Hades muffled a laugh into his sandwich. From behind him he could hear Will’s mother sharing her own chuckle and when Nico looked up, Will was back to his own lunch, smiling.

Nico wasn’t entirely sure what was happening. He couldn’t quite pinpoint the moment when smiling stopped hurting so much or when the sound of his own laugh stopped catching him off guard. What he was sure of was that it had something to do with Will and the home he had brought him into. This wasn’t the sort of place Nico ever thought he would be. His future had always looked lonely and cold until Bianca had shown him something else in a dream. His life wasn’t just about him anymore and there, in Will’s mother’s apartment, Nico remembered what it felt like to have a home and to be part of something more than just his own head.

A short while later, when their plates had been cleared and the both of them had retreated to sit back down on the mattress, Nico glanced over at Will and caught the other slowly beginning to doze off to the sounds of the movie. The taller boy’s eyes were shut, pale eyelashes fanned out against his cheek and underneath them his freckles splayed out like sugar spilled across a countertop. His breath was slow, steady, and everything about him was soft and pleasant.

“Hey,” Nico whispered after a few moments, his hand slowly wedging underneath Will’s own from where it sat next to him. “Are you asleep?”

The healer made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat, not opening his eyes but Nico could feel the gentle swipe of a thumb over the back of his knuckles, letting him know the other was listening.

“Do you have to go to school tomorrow?”

“M’not until Monday,” Will mumbled sleepily.

Nico nodded steadily to himself, chewing on the corner of his mouth and doing his best to not look nervous even though Will wasn’t watching him. “Then… would it be alright if I stayed a little longer?”

Will’s eyes opened, tender and affectionate before a small, ghost of a smile crawled onto his lips and he nodded slowly as his hand tightened around Nico’s. “Please." 

The smaller boy dropped his eyes, remembering the familiar feeling of almost doing something stupid at the end of last summer. He muttered a quiet “ _okay_ ”, keeping his hand beneath Will’s before dropping his head onto the other’s shoulder and closing his own eyes. The healer shifted, maneuvering the two of them so Nico’s head was sitting more comfortably, and then Will’s head was leaning against his and he was whispering: “ _welcome home_ ”.   

Ten minutes later, Nico heard the same words again through sleep-logged ears as Will’s mother dropped a blanket over the two of them and pushed the hair from both their faces before returning to her spot at the kitchen table. He blearily tossed the words around in his head, weighing them, testing them, but the blanket was warm and Will’s hand was still over his so Nico ignored the rest of the noise in the back of his mind and thought: “ _Yeah. Welcome home.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This entire story was supposed to be like 5,000 words. I don't even know what happened.
> 
> Thank you buckets for all the kudos and comments. You guys are totally amazing.
> 
> http://www.kazymyrz.tumblr.com/


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